Delhiites today reacted with revulsion and horror to another sordid case of a teenage domestic help being tortured and starved by her employers in a posh area of the national capital.

The irony of the case is that both the employers of the girl from Jharkhand are women, with the main accused Vandana Dhir (50) being the Country Communications Director of Alstom India and South Asia.

Delhi government took a strong note of the case saying that her case will be heard by a fast-track court to ensure that she gets justice.

Calling the incident “horrible and barbaric,” Minister of Women and Child Development department Kiran Walia said the government will bear the medical expenses of the victim.

Walia, who visited the girl at the Safdarjung hospital this morning, said a fast-track court would handle the trial of the employers of the badly injured domestic help.

Dhir and her 85-year-old mother allegedly beat her up regularly and kept her naked or in minimal cloths so that she does not run away.

The girl reportedly told police that she had been working with her employers for the past one year and they used to regularly hit her with sticks, kicked her, punched her and inflicted injuries with a knife like object.

The mother-daughter duo has a pack of five domestic dogs. The girl also claimed that she was intimidated through these canines.

The girl’s condition, who is being treated at Safdarjung hospital is stated to be stable.

Dr B D Athani, Medical Superintendent of Safdarjung said, “She has got cut marks on her scalp and bruises on her face. She is admitted in the emergency and her condition is stable.”

Dhir, who was arrested early morning by Delhi police after a case of assault and illegally confining the girl was registered against her, was today remanded to police custody till tomorrow by a Delhi court.

Sources said that police is investigating the placement agency through which the girl was employed at Dhir’s residence one year ago and raids are being conducted to nab those associated with it.

Sources also said that the police has moved a plea seeking permission for conducting bone ossification test of the victim to ascertain the actual age of the girl.

Taking cognisance of the case, the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) asked the Deputy Resident Commissioner of Jharkhand to provide all necessary support to the girl.

Member of NCPCR, Vinod Tikoo visited the girl admitted in Safdarjung hospital today to get first hand information on the condition of the girl.

“The girl has a severe injury on her head and several marks on her face and back. I have spoken to the Deputy Resident Commissioner of Jharkhand and asked them to provide all necessary support to the girl and facilitate the parents’ meeting with her,” Tikoo told PTI.

“I have also spoken to the Child Welfare Committee and Additional Inspector General of Police, Jharkhand to inform the girl’s family,” he said.

“Moreover, the girl has not been paid her salary and so we have also contacted the Labour department to challan her employer under the bonded labour Act and child labour prevention and regulation act,” Tikoo said.

Meanwhile, reacting to the incident Rathin Basu, Managing Director of ALSTOM India – the company where Dhir works – said, “This is the personal matter of Ms Dhir and we would not like to comment over it.”

The incident also attracted sharp criticism from rights groups which pitched for a mechanism to prevent such incidents.

“This is shocking, it is not just mistreating but this is abuse. Such things should be dealt seriously. What is important that this is not the first case, we need to create a mechanism where such girls, who at times are very young and naïve can seek help, may be helpline or something.”

“As in this case, neighbours contacted the NGO about the girl, I think people everywhere should be empathetic and keep their eyes open to such inhuman torture,” said Kalpana Vishwanath, Director of Jagori.

The battered girl was rescued last evening by a joint team of an NGO and police. The NGO had received information in this regard and informed the police.